VentureBeat » Wi-Fi cameras News | VentureBeathttp://venturebeat.com
News About Tech, Money and InnovationSun, 02 Aug 2015 19:00:51 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Copyright 2015, VentureBeat‘You cannot pass’ until we check your devices at the Super Bowl doorhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/02/01/super-bowl-wi-fi/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/01/super-bowl-wi-fi/#commentsSat, 02 Feb 2013 00:37:07 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=615584Going to the Super Bowl this year? You should consider leaving that Wi-Fi camera at home. The NFL is checking any devices that could interfere with its first commercial Wi-Fi network catering to anyone in the Superdome on Sunday.
]]>

This year’s Super Bowl is the first time that the NFL is offering free, advertising-supported Wi-Fi to its fans. But in order to protect the precious (and enormous) Wi-Fi network they’ve set up to handle nearly 30,000 people, officials are checking your wireless devices at the door, according to Ars Technica.

In partnership with Verizon and Cisco, the NFL created a beefed-up Wi-Fi system intended to sustain the entire crowd of Super Bowl spectators Sunday. It’s equipped with directional signals to make sure the Wi-Fi isn’t wasted on the empty space in the dome part of the Superdome, and it’s designed to withstand the thousands of streaming videos, stat checks, and blog posts viewers will undoubtedly interact with during the game.

Sponsored by VB

Join us at GrowthBeat where thought leaders from the biggest brands will share winning growth strategies on August 17-18 in San Francisco. Sign up now!

But some of your devices could interfere with that signal — namely, any Wi-Fi connected cameras and laptops that are being used for private Wi-Fi networks. The NFL is checking all these devices, keeping in mind that some people — like the press — need their devices. If you’re found with what the NFL calls a “rogue” Wi-Fi device, the league is quarantining that puppy. Or staffers might change the channel on your Wi-Fi to ensure it doesn’t interfere.

Furthermore, the NFL is monitoring the network like a hawk. If it sees any funny business, such as a connection that’s throwing off part of the Wi-Fi, you could be asked to shut down that device.

If you’re headed to the Super Bowl, I wouldn’t worry about your phones. Surfing the Internet on your mobile devices is the whole reason the NFL set this up. But you should be wary of the Internet itself. The Wi-Fi is an open, free, password-less network, begging to be tapped into by some actual “rogues.”

Don’t use any financial or sensitive apps or send any private messages if you’re connected to the Wi-Fi. It might not just be the NFL watching your every move.